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partnershipsdonationsdrinking waterdrunken hubrisduck and coverdui arrestsdumbing it downeditorial bullshitendagered speciesentertainment industryenthusiasm gapentitlement programsenvironmental lawsuitseric massaescalationeuropean unionexit strategyexpanding desertsfair and balancedfair usefaithfake outragefalse indignationfaux-controversyfinancial reformfinancial regulationfiredoglakeflat taxfocus on the familyfood productionfringefund raisergag ordersgas drillingglobalizationgoogle public policygov 2.0government secrecygreenhouse gaseshate crimes legilsationheadline failhealth care law suitshigh techhopehubrishurricanesiPods for VotesiTunesiconsideological purity testsintel agenciesinvestorsissue adsjack thompsonjane harmanjerome armstrongjob creationjob growthjobs reportjohn dougallkarmallearninglikely voterslocal newspapersloralee's looney tunesmaking shit upmanufacturingmarketingmathew yglesiasmedia literacymediocritymelting icecapsmichael phelpsmilitary budgetmilitary inquiriesminority partymiranda rightsmunicipal electionsnational broadband strategynativismnews cyclesnewsmaxnewsweeknot backing downnot getting itobscenityoil spillsonline privacyopposition researchorganic and localout of touchoutsourcingoverloadpanderingparty identityparty leadershipparty volunteerspension reformspiratesplush toysplutocracypointless protestspolar ice capspolicy wonkspolitical bloggingpolitical sciencepoliticized intelligenceponzi schemespopularitypopulist my asspovertypress conferenceprint newsprobability theoryprogressive narrativeprojectionspsychology and politicspublic commentpublic servicespublic spendingrahm emanuelrecords requestsresignationsreward good behaviorrhetorical bandwagonsric cantrellroadsrole of governmentsscott brownsecret ballotssecular nationself funded candidatesshut itsingle payersmall Donorssmcofcvsmugnesssoapbloxsomaliasound bytesspace shuttlespecial prosecutorsspeculatorsstate partiesstate secretsstates rightsstrange headlinesstrategy failstrip miningsubscription newssubsidiessuper majoritysuperdelegatessustainabletabloid newstax havenestenthersthe Travelerthe great depressionthomas friedmantim dechristophertoken liberaltort reformtoxic debttracking policytruth commissionstuitiontweet uput-2utah taxpayer associationviolencewaaaaaaawasatch watcherweather not climateweb adswedge issuewelfarewestern stateswhite collarwho edit's these thingswikileakswildernesswingutswisconsinworker rightszion curtainThe SideTrackBlurring the Line Between Information and Yellinghttp://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (craig41)Blogger2407125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-2758447872022442042Wed, 23 Nov 2016 20:41:00 +00002016-11-23T13:41:40.318-07:00DeVosed<div class="p11 tr_bq" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">The Donald's education secretary pick is... <a href="https://griid.org/2016/11/21/what-betsy-devos-as-education-secretary-might-look-like/" target="_blank">what you'd expect</a>. Teachers, keep your eyes open.</div><blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1"><i>Rob Boston of Americans United for Separation of Church and State described Betsy DeVos as the “four-star general” of the school privatization movement shortly after DeVos announced the formation of the “new” American Federation for Children (AFC) in March 2010. As Boston noted, the American Federation for Children was not new, but a rebranding of an organization called Advocates for School Choice.</i></span><span class="s1"><i>The American Federation for Children is now the umbrella organization for two nonprofits that have been at the center of the pro-privatization movement for over a decade. In addition to the renamed Advocates for School Choice, it includes the Alliance for School Choice, formerly known as the Education Reform Council.</i></span></blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2016/11/devosed.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-3825187954694786069Mon, 21 Nov 2016 20:48:00 +00002016-11-23T13:34:06.176-07:00Kobached<div dir="ltr">Recent&nbsp;<a href="http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/07/18/opinion/kansas-zealot-helps-shape-the-gops-right-wing-platform.html">NYTimes editorial</a> on potential Trump pick for DHS:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>Mr. </i><i>Kobach</i><i> is pushing the myth that voter cheating is rampant. But he has utterly failed to document that, despite his </i><i>Javert</i><i>-like zealotry as secretary of state. In fact, the federal ruling against him said there was evidence of only three instances across 18 years in which </i><i>noncitizens</i><i> voted in Kansas.</i><i>Mr. </i><i>Kobach</i><i> has not stopped at his state’s borders. He has been a principal contributor to the Republican Party platform. He wrote two pages of hard-edged immigration policy centered on Mr. Trump’s hateful fantasy of a wall that the plank trumpets “must cover the entirety of the southern border.” He helped write a plank </i><i><u>condemning</u></i><i> the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. He also helped write another setting the Republican Party squarely against any ban on assault rifles and large-capacity ammunition magazines.</i></blockquote><div align="left"><div dir="ltr"><a href="http://twitter.com/kansasdems" target="_blank">@KansasDems</a> have been documenting this guy for a while. Follow.<br /></div></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2016/11/kobach.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-816864853671622172Thu, 10 Nov 2016 18:24:00 +00002016-11-10T11:24:51.624-07:00"Monstrous Scapegoats"<p dir="ltr"><i>Pro-</i><i>Brexit</i><i> voices have succeeded in creating two monstrous scapegoats in the </i><i><u>public</u></i><i> mind that supposedly congregate around London: the rootless, wealthy cosmopolite and the shifty, job-stealing foreigner. If that </i><i>funhouse</i><i> mirror rhetoric doesn&#8217;t ring a bell to American readers, I suggest you try cleaning your ears.</i></p><p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.citylab.com/politics/2016/11/the-view-from-brexitland/507137/?utm_source=SFTwitter">More</a>.<br></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2016/11/scapegoats.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-8357632782480235137Fri, 19 Jun 2015 06:56:00 +00002015-06-19T12:05:56.563-07:0010 years?<p dir="ltr">Halfway through 2015 before it dawns on me this blog is 10 years old this year.</p><p dir="ltr">It's been pretty quiet here lately, but that doesn't mean I haven't been mouthing off elsewhere. You can hear me warping hearts and minds two hours daily on <a href="http://Facebook.com/kvnuftp">KVNU's For the People</a>, and I write sometimes at <a href="http://UtahPoliticoHub.com">Utah Politico Hub</a> (where long time readers will find a lot of familiar names writing). And less frequently than I like, I contribute to JM Bell's media empire at Defenestrate Media and <a href="http://theleftshow.com">The Left Show</a>.</p><p dir="ltr">Realizing the ten year mark had come, I also realized how many of us making noise then are still making noise now. Holly still fires up <a href="http://HollyontheHill.com">HollyontheHill.com</a> regularly, and is now a member of the State Records Committee. JM Bell, mentioned above, has a whole team of podcasters doing his evil wishes. John Dougall has gone legit as a lawmaker and State Auditor but still builds as much space to debate on Facebook as his blog did then. Ric "It's just a webcam, Mr. President" Cantrell's baby <a href="http://SenateSite.com">The Senate Site</a> is still full steam ahead and much more than just a blog now. Connor's Connundrums has morphed into a group effort at <a href="http://libertasutah.org">Libertas Utah</a>. Jesse Harris is active at Utah Politico Hub, Coolest Family Ever and FreeUtopia. Curtis Haring, of Blue in Red Zion fame, is now writing (for money!) at Utah Political Capital. Bob Aagard still peddles his wit and insight at The World According to me. I even see Frank Staheli, The Third Avenue, and Jeremy Manning pop up in comments here and there still. [Update: I forgot the most important one! After a few year hiatus working for The Man -- or in this case, The Woman -- Joe Pyrah's The Sausage Grinder is returned, in <a href="http://utahpoliticohub.com/?s=Midday">UPH's Midday Commentary</a>, with all the links and wit you've missed.)</p><p dir="ltr">Utah Amicus is silent. Ethan Millard has forsaken SLCSpin (and Twitter! Why, cruel world, why? That guy cracked me up in 140 character zingers.) but you can still hear him nightly on Nightside. Weber County Forum is still buzzing. Dave Fletcher's Gov and Tech is still a fun read. Paul Mero never had a blog that I remember, but he was at every Blogger Brunch, and once debated with Vince of Wasatch Watcher (now gone, with Vince living in Colorado) through an entire meal at Roosters.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><br></p><p dir="ltr">For some reason Utah Rattler still exists, and still goes on about all those illegal immi-gants and their identity thievery, or something. &nbsp;<a href="http://utahbloghive.org">UtahBloghive</a><a href="http://utahbloghive.org">.org</a> is still up, and even has a "Memories" section (Davis Didjeridu!), but One Utah is gone, and I'm not sure anyone misses it.</p><p dir="ltr">I'm sure I'm forgetting many more either still around or lost to careers or political frustrations. There are also a lot of new faces, like Chris Herrod's new outfit "Unconconunicorns" or some such, if you've run out of glass to chew.</p><p dir="ltr">I've met most of these folks mentioned IRL over the years, and even count several of them close friends. Everyone of us has a long history of debate, activism, failures, successes, and a hell of a lot of fun. It's interesting to see how everyone's involvement has evolved, but even more interesting to realize how many of these folks are still around since I first started reading and writing here back in 2005. </p><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2014/06/wwii-policy-remade-economy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-5879155595854112675Sun, 24 Nov 2013 21:08:00 +00002013-12-02T13:56:41.556-07:00Utah TAB Report: Portals, Priorities and Open Data Standards<b>UPDATE:</b> Slightly tweaked final version, as submitted to legislative management, <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/188701154/Utah-Transparency-Advisory-Board-Report-Final-As-submitted">here</a>.<br /><br />Final (draft) report of the 2013 Utah Transparency Advisory Board to legislative management. <br /><div style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto;">&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/186770042/Utah-TAB-Report-11-13-2013-2" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Utah TAB Report 11.13.2013-2 on Scribd">Utah TAB Report 11.13.2013-2</a></div><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="undefined" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_84795" scrolling="no" src="//www.scribd.com/embeds/186770042/content?start_page=1&amp;view_mode=scroll&amp;show_recommendations=true" width="100%"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2013/11/utah-tab-report-portals-priorities-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-3754034801131773512Thu, 12 Sep 2013 02:09:00 +00002013-09-11T20:43:03.955-07:00What is an Open Data Standard?<div dir="ltr">As I mentioned in my previous post, there is far less disagreement -- in my experience -- in Utah legislative circles over "transparency" and "openness" than sometimes seems the case. &nbsp;Often what sounds like disagreement results from talking 'around' each other (in this case data geeks, activists, and lawmakers) when discussing these ideas.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">One of the first things I learned in the process that led to SB283 and the Transparency Advisory Board's new tasks was that when I said "Open Data Standards" I got blank stares, but when I said "format standards and consistent practices," I got nods.&nbsp; So what is open data?</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">As <a href="http://opendatahandbook.org/en/what-is-open-data/">The Open Data Handbook</a> defines it:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>Open data is data that can be freely used, reused and redistributed by anyone - subject only, at most, to the requirement to attribute and </i><i>sharealike</i><i>.</i></blockquote><div dir="ltr">Added to that definition are the concepts and attributes of data that can be intermixed with other data and other systems to maximize the usefulness of data in discovering better understanding, services, and even products.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">There are easy go to examples of the benefit of open data or "format" standards.&nbsp; One of my favorites to tell is a city, right in your back yard, where PDFs were being printed for long term storage.&nbsp; When a request for any of these PDFs was made, the files were scanned and emailed or delivered on a disc.&nbsp; Great example of where a "format" standard would save some time and money, right?&nbsp; And probably just the tip of the iceberg statewide.&nbsp; But this type of story alone (and there are many) doesn't fully grasp the importance of Open Data Standard policy.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">During the legislative session, Sen. Henderson spoke about "one stop shopping" for public access to public data in her Senate floor speech before the first vote.&nbsp; The concept being better format standards from all levels of government (eventually... our conversations stayed limited to state agencies, to keep the scope in check) producing better and more easily "intermixed" data, and the ability to make that data accessible for reuse and redistribution via a single online portal.&nbsp; Additionally, data retrieved from this portal could then be "intermixed" and reused in countless ways by the end user.&nbsp; </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">So far then, we've covered formatting standards (efficiency, consistency, longevity, and "intermix" effect), and building a portal (ease of access, "one stop shopping").&nbsp; And the best part?&nbsp; I learned during the GRAMA Work Group study that due to some foresight, planning, and even luck, Utah is in a perfect position with already existing technology at most state government levels to put this concept into action now.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">But there's still one final piece to include for fully understanding Open Data Standards and their role in managing and accessing public data in Utah.&nbsp; Okay, honestly, there are dozens more pieces to the puzzle.&nbsp; Just a few from the Sunlight Foundation's <a href="http://sunlightfoundation.com/opendataguidelines/"><i>Open Data Guidelines</i></a> publication (just updated, but we drew heavily on version 1.0 in writing SB283): Safeguarding private data, provisions for contractors and quasi-government agencies, publishing in bulk when possible, just to name a few.&nbsp; But one specific step Utah could take upon recommendation from the TAB and legislative approval: publishing code.&nbsp; From those same Open Data Guidelines:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>Not only the data, but the code used to create government websites, portals, tools, and other online resources can provide further benefits, as valuable open data itself. Governments should employ open source solutions whenever possible to enable sharing and make the most out of these benefits. The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) began publishing open code on the social code site GitHub in 2012, citing that doing so helped them fulfill the mission of their agency and facilitated their technical work. (More information is available in the announcement blogpost on the </i><i><a href="http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/the-cfpbs-source-code-policy-open-and-shared/">CFPB’s</a></i><i><a href="http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/the-cfpbs-source-code-policy-open-and-shared/"> website</a></i><i>.)</i></blockquote><div dir="ltr">Removing the "gatekeepers" from code from tools and online resources opens the doors is where easily accessible, consistently formatted public data can really take off.&nbsp; It's a very limited example, but recently someone at a Utah company, in their spare time, used Sunlight Foundation API code shared on their webpage to pull data from le.utah.gov and build a highly customizable legislation tracker that could even be manipulated to send you reminders on your smartphone.&nbsp; Now imagine if someone with very limited coding skills, working in real estate, manufacturing, the NSA building in Bluffdale... okay bad example, let's just say any industry or organization in Utah could access public data and public data manipulation and presentation code, and turn it into whatever they want or need?&nbsp; The possibilities are endless, and little explored to date. <br /><br />The <i>New York Times</i> called this discovery of uses for public data in both government and private markets<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/sunday-review/big-datas-impact-in-the-world.html?pagewanted=all&amp;_r=0" target="_blank"> the "Moneyball" revolution:&nbsp;</a><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">The story is similar in fields as varied as science and sports, advertising and public health — a drift toward data-driven discovery and decision-making.</span></blockquote></div><div dir="ltr">Formatting consistency (efficiency, intermix), one stop shopping (single portal), and access to data and code for tools (innovation, multi-use), while not a full picture, are a great starting point for understanding what an Open Data Standard is, and why it's important.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">Next up, what the TAB <i>shouldn't</i> do.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">Recommend reads:</div><div dir="ltr">- The full <a href="http://opendatahandbook.org/en/introduction/">Open Data Handbook</a>.</div><div dir="ltr">- Sunlight's <a href="http://sunlightfoundation.com/opendataguidelines/#section-how-to-implement-policy">How to Implement Open Data Policy</a> (with references to SB283 and Utah's TAB!)</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2013/09/what-is-open-data-standard.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-3488185343693281096Tue, 10 Sep 2013 22:29:00 +00002013-09-10T17:06:08.038-07:00TABed<p dir="ltr">Dusting this thing off.</p><p dir="ltr">I meant to start writing again this time last year as work began on what would become <a href="http://le.utah.gov/~2013/bills/static/SB0283.html">SB283</a>.&#160; Then I meant to write about the process as SB283 was drafted and passed.&#160; Then I meant to write about the Transparency Advisory Boards new tasks under SB283 and what Open Data (and open data) mean.&#160; Then I meant to write about SB283, Sunlight Foundation's Transparency Camp '13 in DC, Neal Stephenson's "information as power" novels, and what Open Data (and open data) mean.</p><p dir="ltr">And somehow it is now September.&#160; You know how it goes.&#160; We can't all be Holly Richardson, who's raised 2,314 children, cans everything that grows, serves on the State Records Cmmte, runs campaigns, and still finds time to write on her blog.&#160; I'd hate her if she wasn't a good person on top of it all.</p><p dir="ltr">I've written about it before here but the reverse process from my recent appointment to the TAB, back to passage of SB283, before that the 2011 GRAMA Work Group, and before that the nefarious HB477 is an amazing trip that -- forgive my sappiness -- really reminds you that good things can come from bad, and that overall, Utah lawmakers, legislative staff, and activists alike have common goals.&#160; Differences and disagreements more often come from talking around each other than they do from actually disagreeing when it comes to transparent government.</p><p dir="ltr">That's not to say there aren't some who don't care, or even prefer closed doors.&#160; It's not to say there isn't a time to shout "What do you have to hide?!"&#160; Shouting can be useful and fun.&#160; I'm a fan.&#160; But from the stories we heard during the Governor's GRAMA work group to the warm response I've more often than not received from lawmakers to my questions, confusion, and even naivete, it seems like better conversations can and do lead to better things happening.&#160; And as I've also written here before, more members of our legislature are open to that better conversation than not.&#160; None of this would be going forward if Sen. Niederhauser hadn't entertained my half crocked ideas, or if Sen. Henderson hadn't bravely put her name (and patience with me) on this.&#160; </p><p dir="ltr">Sometimes, believe it or not, our electeds, cities, and agencies don't want to bury information or access.&#160; They just don't understand what you mean with your fancy JSON files this and your high-falutin' open source that.</p><p dir="ltr">I think that's where SB283 and the coming work of the TAB on tackling Open Data Standards comes in.&#160; Utah is already ahead of the curve on technology use and records law.&#160; The board has a lot of ground to cover in an already short period of time.&#160; It probably won't go all of the places I want it to go.&#160; And as Jesse Harris, Phil Windley, Sen. Henderson, Holly Richardson, Patricia "Walking Institution of Knowledge" at the state archivists' office (who's testimony at the GRAMA work group hearings really opened my eyes) and everyone else involved with getting this process off the ground will probably tell you, I struggle with that whole pragmatic thing.&#160; But this board will go some amazing places, and if you <a href="http://le.utah.gov/~2013/bills/static/SB0283.html">take a close look at the final 1/3 of SB283</a> (the "shall" part), this is just the start of a really important discussion.</p><p dir="ltr">I have a lot of things I plan to write about.&#160; Open Data vs. open data.&#160; What the board shouldn't try to do.&#160; What the board is doing (of course).&#160; How this one time I called Sen. Bramble mid-session with a question about my notes from the GRAMA work group and -- get this -- he <i>still</i> hasn't called me back.&#160; Like he was busy at the time or something.&#160; I know, right?!</p><p dir="ltr">And one last very important thing for me to get down personally, ahead of what will be my first TAB meeting as an official board member: The Sunlight Foundation.&#160; L(e), Zubedah (The Secretary), "StereoGab," Rebecca with the Cool Last Name, and anyone else near Dupont Circle maybe using a stack of boxes as a desk (by choice) as I type this, this has been a crash course education for me, and you all are great teachers.&#160; The Sunlight Foundation is an understated and irreplaceable resource for cities, states, and even countries working toward healthy government and informed citizenry.&#160; Fun fact: an unexpected meet up and conversation with L(e) thousands of miles from Utah on the Rhode Island waterfront was the first time I'd heard the words "open data standard" and realized how well the very concept answered the questions left in my head after the GRAMA work group wrapped.&#160; How random is that?</p><p dir="ltr">I encourage everyone to follow and support their work.&#160; Start with <a href="http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/">their blog</a> and extensive <a href="http://sunlightfoundation.com/tools/">tools</a> pages.</p><p dir="ltr">I never meant to be a "transparency activist."&#160; I was intent and happy with being a loudmouth.&#160; I'm most qualified for the latter, and I honestly have no idea what I'm doing.&#160; But I am really looking forward to writing about and participating in the TAB and the (hopefully) ongoing Open Data Standards discussion.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2013/09/tabed.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-2799757294198713652Fri, 24 May 2013 18:01:00 +00002013-05-24T11:48:50.094-07:00Medicaid expansion a question of valuesThe <a href="https://twitter.com/UHPP/status/337663612233592832">full cost-benefit report</a> on Utah expanding Medicaid is out. <a href="http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56354898-219/state-utah-million-expansion.html.csp">And the </a><i><a href="http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56354898-219/state-utah-million-expansion.html.csp">Salt</a></i><i><a href="http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56354898-219/state-utah-million-expansion.html.csp"> </a></i><i><a href="http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56354898-219/state-utah-million-expansion.html.csp">Lake</a></i><i><a href="http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56354898-219/state-utah-million-expansion.html.csp"> </a></i><i><a href="http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56354898-219/state-utah-million-expansion.html.csp">Tribune</a></i><a href="http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56354898-219/state-utah-million-expansion.html.csp"> has a thorough breakdown of key details.</a>&nbsp; One big takeaway sure to challenge the political narrative we've heard from state lawmakers so far:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>Both full expansion and no expansion scenarios project a boost to Utah's economy, including the creation of new jobs. Without expansion the projected economic benefit is about $516 million. A $2.9 billion economic lift,and 4,160 new jobs, are projected under full expansion.</i></blockquote>For advocates, the projected 123k+ insured is enough. But with projected economic benefits like $2.9b in economic growth, those lawmakers focused only on bottom lines and price tags will have a much harder time justifying their opposition. <br /><br />Lincoln Nehring of Voices for Utah Children is quoted saying now that the state can't say we can't afford it, this is a question of values.&nbsp; Can lawmakers and Governor Herbert put more insured Utahns at a higher priority than the politics of insisting Obamacare is the worst thing ever to happen in the history of things that happened while a Democrat was in the White House? And also: <i>Death</i><i> </i><i>Panels</i>!&nbsp; <br /><br />We'll see.&nbsp; All I can predict with certainty is that Rep. Anderegg's inevitable passionate speech in opposition to all this math will be priceless.<div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2013/03/hothie.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-3743846445302785830Wed, 30 Jan 2013 01:24:00 +00002013-01-29T20:07:02.644-07:00From HB477 to an Open Data Standard for UtahDuring the <a href="http://www.gramarevisited.com/" target="_blank">2011 GRAMA work group</a>, created in response to public outcry over HB477 and proposed changes to Utah's GRAMA law, I learned three things:<br /><br /><ul><li>Utah has an amazing FOI law in GRAMA, defining public data.</li><li>An aggressive online infrastructure is already in place, but not being fully utilized in the availability of public data as defined by GRAMA.</li><li>Despite the image HB477 created, most of our lawmakers have high respect for transparency, being held accountable, and public access to information.</li></ul><br />After we had made our recommendations as a work group -- almost all of which were enacted in <a href="http://curtbramble.org/2012/03/19/senator-bramble-earns-media-coalitions-201-shining-light-award/" target="_blank">Sen. Bramble's SB177 in 2012</a> -- I continued my conversations with state agencies, cities, counties, lawmakers, and transparency advocates here in Utah. &nbsp;I had long conversations with the Sunlight Foundation (who, surprisingly, never stopped answering my constant questions) and open data leaders in other states regarding the implementation of public data policy. &nbsp;The questions I had:<br /><br /><ul><li>Are we getting the most out of our FOI laws? &nbsp;</li><li>Is there waste, inconsistency, or even unnecessary cost for both the state and the public regarding the release of public data?</li><li>Could improvements be made easily?</li><li>Do the necessary tools exist already?</li></ul><br />The answers were always: Yes, yes, yes, and yes.<br /><br />The next step became obvious. &nbsp;To borrow the words of the sponsor of the bill resulting from these many conversations, Sen. Deidre Henderson in a KNRS interview last Friday: In Utah "the wheel has already been invented, we just need to streamline the process."<br /><br />In December, all of this talk became a reality when Sen. Henderson agreed to head the effort up. &nbsp;A small brainstorming group came together quickly, including <a href="http://www.utahsenate.org/aspx/senmember.aspx?dist=7" target="_blank">Sen. Henderson</a>, former lawmaker (and troublemaker) <a href="http://hollyonthehill.com/" target="_blank">Holly Richardson</a>, myself, <a href="http://sunlightfoundation.com/people/lmccann/" target="_blank">Laurenellen McCann</a> by phone from the <a href="http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2013/01/24/utahs-introduces-open-data-bill-invites-public-into-the-drafting-process/" target="_blank">Sunlight Foundation</a>, and two people who know more about IT and data processes than anyone I know, <a href="http://opinionated.coolestfamilyever.com/" target="_blank">Jesse Harris</a>, and <a href="http://www.windley.com/" target="_blank">Phil Windley. </a><br /><br />A skeleton bill was drafted, and our group expanded to include representatives from state archives, records, the Chief Information Officer's office, and additional members of the original GRAMA work group. &nbsp;I've been told Sen. Todd Weiler wants in, but he doesn't know the secret knock, so... &nbsp;Kidding! &nbsp;Sen. Henderson has made it known she wants the process behind possibly changing the process of how data gets to the public to be open, and has even asked for your feedback via <a href="http://www.senatesite.com/home/utah-open-data-standards/" target="_blank">her post at The Senate Site.</a><br /><br />Personally, I'm hoping for a robust discussion and passage, followed by what will surely be a continued refining of the data policy, streamlined by this bill.<br /><br />So why am I writing this? &nbsp;Two reasons. &nbsp;I want to start a conversation about the importance of an open data standard in ensuring we get the most -- both in efficiency and effectiveness -- out of an already impressive environment surrounding public data in Utah. &nbsp;More on that coming soon. &nbsp;I also wanted to highlight this entire process. &nbsp;From HB477 two years ago, to the work group, to the openness and sincerity and <i>excitement</i> of Senate leadership, staff, and of course Sen. Henderson herself in making this come together has been amazing. <br /><br />On KVNU's <i>For the People</i> I get calls all the time from Utahns who feel their government doesn't listen. &nbsp;"They don't care what we think." &nbsp;"They don't listen to the little guy." &nbsp;"They're out of touch." &nbsp;Maybe this is a fair criticism, sometimes. &nbsp;But in Utah, it's also true and important to recognize that anyone -- even an unapologetic lefty activist/blogger/heckler, like me -- can still get the ear of lawmakers and be a part of the process armed with nothing more than their email address, phone numbers, and an idea.<br /><br />That is very cool.<br /><br />I'll write more about the usefulness of an open data standard in the coming days, but I wanted to tell this story first. &nbsp;I think it's easy to take for granted, or even get caught up in our (admittedly fun, equally important) partisan differences or the very "western" innate (and somewhat healthy) mistrust of government. &nbsp;But it's nice to have a reminder that here in Utah anyone willing to jump in, through lawmakers eager to engage, can be a part of the process.<br /><br />Thanks to Sen. Niederhauser and Sen. Henderson for engaging.<div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2013/01/from-hb477-to-open-data-standard-for.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-1824486847329973699Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:04:00 +00002013-01-08T17:08:16.267-07:00Health Care CostsmedicaidObamacareUninsuredUtah LegislatureBefore Obamacare, Utah Lawmakers Singing a Very Different Tune<p dir="ltr">Ran across an interview by KUED as part of their <i>Healthcare: Facing the Barriers</i> documentary.&#160; Contrast today's staunch opposition to Obamacare and the Medicaid expansion with <a href="http://www.kued.org/productions/healthcare/interviews/johnValentine.php">Sen</a><a href="http://www.kued.org/productions/healthcare/interviews/johnValentine.php">. John Valentine, 2007:</a></p><p dir="ltr"><i>By making it more affordable, you have a way to be able to get insurance.&#160; Let&#8217;s use an analogy of a car.&#160; Not everyone can afford an Expedition--a large SUV.&#160; But most people can afford a smaller car.&#160; If they can't afford a smaller car then perhaps they have to take public transit.&#160; Now some of us will go in and out of the various different systems.&#160; For example, I'll take my large SUV up to 106th South and get on tracks to go down to a Jazz game or go down to the Symphony or to go to Temple Square because it's more efficient to take that, it's faster oftentimes and I don't have to find a place to park.&#160; So you use various different aspects of the system based upon what is going to work for you on that particular day.&#160; Well healthcare can do the same thing.&#160; You can have a healthcare program that has a basic system and if you want to afford add-</i><i>ons</i><i>, you can buy the add-</i><i>ons</i><i>, but everyone should be able to afford a basic system--that's the view that Utah would like to put forward</i>.</p><p dir="ltr">The view 2007 Utah would like to put forward sounds a lot like a public option, and exactly like Romneycare in MA, a program Obamacare borrows heavily from especially regarding expanding access to reduce costs associated with a high number of uninsured.&nbsp; An idea 2007 Valentine also endorses: </p><p dir="ltr"><i>I would start with a basic policy that could be affordable for all Utahans.&#160; It would be a basic policy.&#160; It would not have a lot of the bells and whistles that we keep mandating to insurance carriers.&#160; On that basic policy, the premium on it would be means tested, in other words, depending upon your income would be dependent on what you'd have to pay for that policy.&#160; That policy would be available to everybody above the poverty line.&#160; People at the poverty line would be covered by Medicaid--that's a federal program that the state participates in.&#160; I wouldn't change that part of it.&#160; But it's for those uninsured Utahans above the poverty line, but not able to obtain insurance through their own employer.&#160; That basic coverage would be just that--it would be very basic.&#160; It would not have a lot of the things on it that people expect with insurance when they have expectation of full indemnity, in other words it covers everything.&#160; But that basic policy would provide a basic coverage for everyone to be able to afford</i>.</p><p dir="ltr">Sen. Valentine also endorses a collaborative effort between states and the federal government to expand access and reduce premium costs.&#160; While true to his conservative nature opposing mandates and "Canada-care," 2007 Valentine draws a stark contrast with the position of Gov. Herbert and many legislators expressed today.&#160; "The states can't go it alone," 2007 Valentine says, without hesitation.</p><p dir="ltr">Is the takeaway here that, uninsured be damned, a good idea is only a good idea if "our guy" is in the White House?&#160; If expanding Medicaid was a good idea in 2007, it's only a <i>better</i> idea in 2013 as costs have continued to more than triple in Utah.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2013/01/before-obamacare-utah-lawmakers-singing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-8299852106721593703Wed, 28 Nov 2012 18:30:00 +00002012-11-28T11:30:51.530-07:00income inequalityMiddle ClassUtahUtah's Lost Decade <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hIGiGUBin94/ULZXvJ2IbCI/AAAAAAAAEXw/S7NeanXOi9c/s1600/UtahLostDecade.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hIGiGUBin94/ULZXvJ2IbCI/AAAAAAAAEXw/S7NeanXOi9c/s400/UtahLostDecade.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&amp;id=3860" target="_blank">(Source)</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2012/11/utahs-lost-decade.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-4373917817987589372Fri, 28 Sep 2012 18:59:00 +00002012-09-28T11:59:24.009-07:00Election 2012GOPRINOsThe worst of both worlds.<div><p>I'm sure this RINO making all this hoity-toity smart sounding talk is soon to be purged and sanitized.&#160; Still, <a href="http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/is-the-gop-still-a-national-party/">smart</a>:</p><p><i>I&#8217;m not the biggest fan of Eisenhower or Nixon, but they (and Reagan) are clearly preferable to this post-Reagan Republican Party. Those presidents won national majorities for a reason. They weren&#8217;t strict conservatives, but they certainly weren&#8217;t any less conservative than the Bushes, McCain, or Romney. They didn&#8217;t pretend they were going to abolish the welfare state &#8212; often, they didn&#8217;t even pretend they would cut the welfare state &#8212; unlike so many of today&#8217;s Republicans, who don&#8217;t follow through but do use their rhetoric to polarize. That gives us the worst of both worlds: big government plus the delusional sense within one party that it represents the antithesis of big government and may freely hate other Americans who don&#8217;t mouth the mantra. And what goes for big government goes for Judeo-Christian values, a strong national defense, and all the rest: the GOP&#8217;s rhetoric occupies a separate mental compartment from its actions, even as its voters and ideological apologists continue to believe that there is a profound moral difference between them and the rest of the country. It&#8217;s a losing strategy, and worse, it&#8217;s made the country ungovernable even as government grows.</i></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-worst-of-both-worlds.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-9196701207536775578Wed, 05 Sep 2012 06:49:00 +00002012-09-05T00:06:39.022-07:00'12 election2012Barack ObamaDNC ConventionLilly LedbetterMichelle ObamaObamacareDNC Day 1: Clearly Obama's Convention<i>(Crossposted at <a href="http://mydd.com/" target="_blank">MyDD</a>) </i><br /><br />May be my partisan view, watching from home, but the enthusiasm today seemed more palpable than last week, complete with mentions of the candidate <i>by name</i> that seemed both frequent and -- get this -- <i>intentional!</i>&nbsp; Hmm.&nbsp; Not only Obama himself but specific policy and programs received direct and often detailed positioning in quite a few remarks. The scene felt more like what I'd expect at a convention than my take on the <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/tv/maddow-on-christies-speech-one-of-the-most-remarkable-acts-of-political-selfishness-ive-ever-seen/">all-things-generic-Republican (and some Romney guy too) RNC</a>.<br /><br />Also included: more than one strong commitment from speakers on gay marriage, not just in the approved platform items but as a rallying point (<a href="http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/09/support-for-gay-marriage-outweighs-opposition-in-polls/">for turnout?</a>).&nbsp; Interesting, considering <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28118-2004May14.html"><i>this</i> was only 2004</a>.<br /><br />Lilly Ledbetter was <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/80704.html">solid:</a><br /><blockquote>Three years ago, the house passed the paycheck Fairness Act to level the playing field for America's women. Senate Republicans blocked it. Mitt Romney won't even say if he supports it. President Obama does. In the end, I didn't get a dime of the money I was shortchanged. </blockquote><blockquote>But this fight became bigger than Lilly Ledbetter. Today, it's about my daughter. It's about my granddaughter. It's about women and men. It's about families. It's about equality and justice. </blockquote><blockquote>This cause, which bears my name, is bigger than me. It's as big as all of you.</blockquote>'Obamacare' fully embraced. "Real people, real problems" far better, far more tangibly defined than those spoken at/about in the <i>Made Up Scary President Republican Universe.&nbsp;</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.c-span.org/DNC/Events/Tim-Kaine-at-the-2012-Democratic-National-Convention/C3779981/">Tim Kaine</a> said some things I tried not to pay attention to.<br /><br />Noted by <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisBowers/status/243196378522742784">a smart guy on Twitter</a>:<br /><blockquote>Biggest news of the conventions is that both parties are now chasing Dem-leaning demographics--Latinos and women. [...] This ends decades when both chased GOP-leaners (southerners, suburbanites, working class whites).</blockquote><a href="http://www.c-span.org/DNC/Schedule/">CSPAN has video of the whole shebang</a>. Stand outs to me were (in content, if not delivery) San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro's <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/04/julian-castro-speech-text_n_1852500.html">stark contrast of the choice this election is about:</a><br /><blockquote>We all understand that freedom isn't free. What Romney and Ryan don't understand is that neither is opportunity. We have to invest in it. </blockquote><blockquote>Republicans tell us that if the most prosperous among us do even better, that somehow the rest of us will too. Folks...we've heard that before. </blockquote><blockquote>First they called it 'trickle-down.' Then 'supply side.' Now it's 'Romney/Ryan.' Or is it 'Ryan/Romney'? </blockquote><blockquote>Either way, their theory has been tested. It failed. Our economy failed. The middle class paid the price. Your family paid the price. Mitt Romney just doesn't get it.</blockquote>And of course the <a href="https://twitter.com/twitter/status/243198654175928321">Twitter busting</a> (nearly double that of Romney's acceptance speech) boat of awesome that was <a href="http://youtu.be/ZTPdKUA9Ipg">Michelle Obama:</a><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" height="315" width="560"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZTPdKUA9Ipg?version=3&amp;hl=en_US" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZTPdKUA9Ipg?version=3&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowFullScreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br />Wednesday's schedule <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/05/dnc-schedule_n_1856580.html">here</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2012/09/dnc-day-1-clearly-obamas-convention.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-8685409052092009990Mon, 09 Jul 2012 19:32:00 +00002012-07-09T12:32:05.048-07:00OBAMACORE!!!1!!!Because I'm still on Cherilyn Eagar's mailing list and I don't want to bogart the hilarity:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">Dear [Reactionary Moron],<br /> <br /> Thank you for being a strong supporter of liberty in a dangerous time in our nation's history.&nbsp; First it was the federal take-over of banks, autos, energy, and health care - ObamaCare.<br /> <br /> <u>Now it's Obama<em>Core</em>:&nbsp; the take-over of education through "Common Core Standards."</u><br /> <br /> On all fronts, President Obama is showing Americans what he really meant when he promised to dramatically transform this nation.<br /> <br /> And now America is standing up and fighting back.<br /> <br /> Now more than ever, we need you to stand up with us.&nbsp; The American Leadership Fund was established in 2010 to assist coalitions, candidates and elected state officials in promoting state issues that need our support across this nation.&nbsp; We have had a strong and effective influence on education, immigration, fighting ObamaCare, and opposing a constitutional convention.<br /> <br /> Your immediate help today will go a long way to push back ObamaCore - the progressive education agenda of the Left destroying free enterprise and the American Dream.<br /> <br /> <strong>ObamaCore and State NCLB Waivers</strong><br /> Unfortunately, Utah is once again on the front lines of progressive education, having recently been approved for the ObamaCore waiver, also supported by Washington special interests and unions.<br /> <br /> If you don't live in Utah, is YOUR state on board with the Common Core NCLB waiver?&nbsp; Chances are, the answer is "yes."<br /> <br /> You see, it's a Catch 22.&nbsp; It's either <em>No Child Left Behind</em> (NCLB), which has been another federal failure, or the waiver, which requires the adoption of federal "Common Core Standards."<br /> <br /> This waiver violates federal statute by imposing a centralization of standards, testing and curriculum.&nbsp; It also drastically alters prior legislation (FERPA), which has traditionally protected parental and student privacy rights in the past.<br /> <br /> With this new Common Core waiver, not only will privacy be gone.&nbsp; Another generation of American children will once again be subjected to new round of lowering the basketball standard so all students can shoot the basket, a typical progressive dumbing-down strategy that resurfaces with new names and labels.&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <br /> <strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: maroon;">ACTION ALERT:&nbsp; What You Can Do</span></span></strong></div><ul><li> <strong><u><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: navy;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">Attend The Common Core Forum - FREE to the Public</span></span><span style="background-color: yellow;"> </span></span></u><br /> (or request a copy of the recorded version by clicking <a href="mailto:Cherilyn@CherilynEagar.com?subject=Request%20for%20copy%20of%20Common%20Core%20Forum%20Recording" target="_blank">here</a>.) </strong></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Tuesday, July 10, 2012, 7:00-9:00 p.m.<br /> Larry H. Miller Free Enterprise Building Auditorium<br /> Salt Lake Community College Campus<br /> 9750 South 300 West, Sandy, Utah<br /> <span style="color: maroon;">RSVP</span> <a href="mailto:CommonCoreFacts@gmail.com?subject=RSVP%20for%20Common%20Core%20Forum" target="_blank">Here</a></strong></span></div><br /><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Featured Speakers Include:</span></strong></blockquote><blockquote> <blockquote><div style="margin-left: 40px;"> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Dr. Bill Evers</strong>, Research Fellow, <em>Hoover Institution</em>; member, Mitt Romney's Education Policy Advisory Group; former United States Assistant Secretary of Education under George W. Bush</span><br /> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Kent D. Talbert</strong>, co-founder, <em>Talbert &amp; Eitel, PLLC; </em>former General Counsel, <em>United States Department of Education</em> under George W. Bush</span><br /> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Emmett McGroarty, Esq</strong>., Director of Education Policy,<em> American Principles Project; </em>author, ALEC anti-common core legislation; founder, <a href="http://cts.vresp.com/c/?FriendsofCherilynEag/1354a32370/fb74412600/a9e729633c" target="_blank">www.truthinamericaneducation.<wbr></wbr>org</a> network</span><br /> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>James Gass</strong>, Director,<em> Center for School Reform, Pioneer Institute</em></span></div></blockquote></blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2012/07/obamacore1.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-4758777253639046906Thu, 12 Apr 2012 06:08:00 +00002012-04-11T23:22:22.249-07:00'12 electionRepublican Partyscreaming tea-baggersUtah GOPwingnutsWingnuttia Through the Years: Only the Names Have ChangedAs we reflect on the <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/11/newt-gingrich-thinks-school-children-should-work-as-janitors/248837/" target="_blank">GOP</a> <a href="http://www.politico.com/gallery/2012/03/craziest-quotes-of-the-2012-campaign/000023-000259.html" target="_blank">nomination battles</a>, it would only be natural to ask <strike>WTF?!</strike> are the crazies getting crazier?&nbsp; No, <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/national-affairs/why-conservatives-are-still-crazy-after-all-these-years-20120316?print=true" target="_blank">says Rick Perlstein</a>, they're just more concentrated in one party.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">Over the last sixty years or so, I see far more continuities than discontinuities in what the rightward twenty or thirty percent of Americans believe about the world. The crazy things they believed and wanted were obscured by their lack of power, but they were always there – if you knew where to look. What's changed is that loony conservatives are now the Republican mainstream, the dominant force in the GOP….<br /><br />David Noebel, who exposed the "Communist subversion of music" by which Russian spymasters deployed Pavlov's techniques to rot the minds of America's youth via their bought-and-paid-for agents, the Beatles…. Noebel himself is still with us. In the 1970s, he was a favorite source for James Dobson, the still enormously popular Christian Right radio pschologist and Republican power broker. Most recently, Noebel's reputation got a boost from an admiring Glenn Beck on Fox News…. Right-wing radio hosts fingering liberal billionaires like George Soros, who use their gigantic fortunes – built by virtue of private enterprise under the Constitution – out to "socialize" the United States? 1954: Here's a right-wing radio host fingering "gigantic fortunes, built by virtue of private enterprise under the Constitution ... being used to 'socialize' the United States." Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, "fed up with elitist judges" arrogantly imposing their "radically un-American views" — including judges on the Supreme Court, whose rulings he's pledged to defy? 1958: Nine Men Against America: The Supreme Court and its Attack on American Liberties, still on sale at sovereignstates.org.<br /><br />Only the names of the ogres have changed — although sometimes they haven't. Dr. Noebel's latest project is to republish a volume he apparently finds freshly relevant, Dr. Fred Schwarz's You Can Trust the Communists: To be Communists. Schwarz, an Australian physician who died three years ago, had his heyday in the early 1960s, when he would fill municipal auditoriums preaching his favorite gospel: that the Kremlin dominated its subjects by deploying "the techniques of animal husbandry," and harbored "plans for a flag of the USSR flying over every American city by 1973." The new version, updated by Noebel – it comes with raves from grateful Amazon.com reviews, like this: "Just as important as it was 50 years ago"; and this: "Should be required reading for every American," and "This book made me a conservative" – is titled You Can Still Trust the Communists: To be Communists, Socialists, Statists, and Progressives Too.</blockquote>It's comically expected for some to feed it to get elected.&nbsp; It's tragically human for simple minds to suck up what explains your troubles and fears, no matter how bat shit crazy.&nbsp; And it's down right embarrassing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xpTQ8_AUcQ" target="_blank">how many</a> of these <a href="http://www.indecisionforever.com/blog/2012/04/03/brilliant-piece-of-art-sells-for-reasonable-amount-of-money" target="_blank">lunatics</a> are <a href="http://obamaexposed.com/about-book.html" target="_blank">Utahns</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2012/04/wignuttia-through-years-only-names-have.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-461140360853802894Tue, 27 Mar 2012 22:45:00 +00002012-03-27T15:45:49.147-07:00'12 election2012Barack ObamaHealth Care ReformMandateMitt RomneyObamacareSCOTUS arguments recap - Day two<i>(Crossposted at <a href="http://mydd.com/2012/3/27/mandate-debate-day-2" target="_blank">MyDD</a>) </i><br /><br />After initial arguments yesterday, the Supreme Court today slogged headlong into the meat of the arguments for and against the Affordable Care Act mandate (<a href="http://www.npr.org/2012/03/27/149465820/transcript-supreme-court-the-health-care-law-and-the-individual-mandate">transcript and full audio via NPR</a>).<br /><br />Nothing new here outside of specific presentation, and maybe the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/health-reform-supporters-dominate-supreme-court-steps/2012/03/27/gIQAHwWbeS_blog.html?wprss=rss_ezra-klein">political optics outside the court</a>.&nbsp; Politico has a recap of the 7 key points, including the <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0312/74548_Page2.html#ixzz1qM6L7bde">"Brocolli Argument"</a>:<br /><blockquote> SCALIA: “Could you define the market — everybody has to buy food sooner or later, so you define the market as food, therefore, everybody is in the market; therefore, you can make people buy broccoli.” </blockquote><blockquote> VERRILLI: “No, that's quite different. That's quite different. The food market, while it shares that trait that everybody's in it, it is not a market in which your participation is often unpredictable and often involuntary. It is not a market in which you often don't know before you go in what you need, and it is not a market in which, if you go in and — and seek to obtain a product or service, you will get it even if you can't pay for it.”<br /></blockquote><a href="http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/53801817-90/court-law-lee-general.html.csp">Here in Utah, Little Mikey and Marky are already cheering</a> the demise of the mandate, and SCOTUSblog's Lyle Denniston confirms, this is going to be Justice Kennedy's case to call.&nbsp; But where Kennedy is <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/2012/03/argument-recap-it-is-kennedys-call/">may be up in the air </a>(emphasis mine):<br /><blockquote> “So,” Breyer said, “I thought the issue here is not whether it’s a violation of some basic right or something to make people buy things they don’t want, bujt simply whether those decisons of that groujp of 40 milliion people substantially affect the interstate commerce that has been set up in part” through a variety of government-sponsored health care delivery systems.&nbsp; That, Breyer told Carvin,&nbsp;”the part of your argument I’m not hearing.” </blockquote><blockquote> Carvin, of course, disputed the premise, saying that Congress in adopting the mandate as a method to leverage health care coverage for all of the uninsured across the nation.&nbsp; Kennedy interrupted to that that he agreed “that’s what’s happening here.”&nbsp; But then he went on, and suggested that he had seen what Breyer had been talking about.&nbsp;&nbsp; “I think it is true that, if most questions in life are matters of degree,” <strong> it could be that in the markets for health insurance and for the health care for which insurance was the method of payment “the young person who is uninsured is uniquely proximately very close to affecting the rates of insurance and the costs of providing medical care in a way that is not true in other industries.&nbsp; That’s my concern in the case.”</strong><br /></blockquote>More interesting, was yesterday a setup? <a href="http://news.firedoglake.com/2012/03/27/supreme-court-day-two-arguments-concern-the-individual-mandate/">As David Dayden has pointed out</a>: yesterday every Justice agreeing a mandate was not a tax under Anti-Injunction, today Obama's SG arguing it's just like a tax to Congress.<br />And even more interesting, the politics outside of it all.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.rollcall.com/issues/57_115/Five-Races-in-Which-the-Health-Care-Debate-Will-Matter-213386-1.html">Roll Call</a> has 5 races where health care will matter either way, and why Democrats will make this about RyanCare. Senate Republicans are <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/27/mitch-mcconnell-health-care_n_1382539.html">squealing tires in reverse</a>, hoping everyone forgets "Replace" is a word. For Obama, it could be win-win.&nbsp; Mandate struck down, Republicans lose a major rallying point for the general election, Democrats may gain one (<em>Activist judges!</em>).&nbsp; <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Robert-Reich/2012/0327/Obama-could-turn-a-health-care-loss-into-a-win">Robert Reich sees</a> Obama positioned well for Medicare for All if the Affordable Care Act unravels.&nbsp; And somewhere, Lil' Ricky and the Newt are <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/post/romneycare-at-the-supreme-court/2012/03/27/gIQApv3beS_blog.html">firing up the attack ads</a> on Romney.<br /><br />Tomorrow's arguments: <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/2012/03/argument-preview-health-care-part-iii-beyond-the-mandate/">Mandate "what-ifs" and the Medicaid expansion</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2012/03/scotus-arguments-recap-day-two.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-6071012735589778729Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:44:00 +00002011-12-22T13:38:18.810-07:002011EconomicsHealth CareMedicarePaul Ryan2011's worst economic ideas<div><a href="http://www.newdeal20.org/2011/12/22/the-10-worst-economic-ideas-of-2011-67621/">The 10 Worst Economic Ideas of 2011</a><br /><blockquote>Say it ain’t so, Ron Wyden. The Democratic senator from Oregon has&nbsp;teamed upwith Congressman Paul Ryan to propose an option for Medicare recipients to buy private plans. They would be offered a flat payment to buy private plans if they so chose. Competition for these dollars will supposedly make Medicare and the health insurance companies more efficient. More likely, however, it will result in misleading claims by the health insurance companies or reduced coverage plans. It will raise costs for Medicare as healthy seniors are induced to take cheaper private plans with healthier individuals. Allegedly, the Wyden-Ryan plan would control for all this by setting minimal standards. Forget about that. The Obama administration has already&nbsp;given in&nbsp;on federal standards for Obamacare, letting states set their own. Guess who most of the states will favor. Seniors will probably have to move to New York or Massachusetts to get decent plans.But that’s not even the big rub. It is that Medicare payments will be limited to growing just 1 percent faster than GDP. Health care costs have risen considerably faster than that for a long time. Somehow Wyden thinks that such a limit will force reforms. In sum, it will simply lead to less coverage and more expense for beneficiaries. </block quote> ___________________________________________________ <p><!--freepress.net link---><a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank"><img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a><!--end freepress.net link--></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2011/12/10-worst-economic-ideas-of-2011-say-it.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-6101195921275841638Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:37:00 +00002011-11-03T16:21:05.464-07:00CapitalismHousing BubbleOccupy Wall StreetSub-prime lendingCapitalism \= Greed and Gambling<div>Wisdom from <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/01f61914-0485-11e1-ac2a-00144feabdc0,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2F01f61914-0485-11e1-ac2a-00144feabdc0.html&amp;_i_referer=#axzz1cUVEFkUx">across the pond</a>:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>Greed is a human motivation, but not a dominant one –and the institutions that most exemplified the philosophy of greed were those that imploded in 2007-08. The goods made by workers whose motivation was purely instrumental were driven out of the marketplace by those of people who took pride in their work and of organisations which understood that complex assembly depends on teamwork. A semantic confusion leads us to use the word market to describe both the process which puts food on our table and the activity of gambling in credit default swaps. That confusion has enabled people to claim the virtues of the former for the latter.</i><br /><br /><i>Many of those who preach the doctrine of free enterprise loudest have succeeded by skills more akin to those of backroom politicians than of entrepreneurs. Mobile phone networks grew rapidly because a fortunate interlude of deregulatory fervour wrested a monopoly from incumbent fixed line operators. The inventors of social networking sites resemble the occupiers of St Paul’s Churchyard tents more than the occupants of boardrooms. The besuited Winkelvoss twins, lobbying and litigating for a share of Mark Zuckerberg’s business, embody the deformed view of market economics which confuses business interests with free enterprise.</i><br /><br /><i>Perhaps the “something nicer” which should replace capitalism is a more nuanced –and more accurate –account of capitalism itself.</i></blockquote></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2011/11/capitalism-greed-and-gambling.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-6075660183270923345Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:11:00 +00002011-10-16T17:11:36.565-07:002012Cable NewsHerman Cain"Bold"<div><p><a href="http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2011/10/nein-nein-nein.html">Nein, Nein, Nein</a></p><p>Voices on my teevee today telling me Herman's 9-9-9 plan is ridiculous, half-baked, and sure to bring on a second recession.&#160; But each "analyst" wrapped with a reminder that it was bold.</p><p>If there is one thing I've learned from Adam Sandler's career in "film" as it relates to real world politics its that anyone can have an idea and get others on board supporting it (see every director or studio responsible for every movie Sandler has made besides Punch Drunk Love).</p><p>Just because an idea is so ridiculous only one moron thought of it doesn't make it bold. Declarations of boldness should be reserved for those ideas that not only stand out but that are also, you know, good ideas.</p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2011/10/nein-nein-nein-voices-on-my-teevee.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-495727701094689898Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:52:00 +00002011-10-12T13:52:53.575-07:00GRAMAOpen GovernmentredistrictingUtah DemocratsUtah Democrats File GRAMA RequestContact:<br />Matt Lyon<br />801.597.8888 | mlyon@utdem.org<br /> <br />For Immediate Release: Wednesday, October 12, 2011<br /> <br />Utah Democrats File GRAMA Request on Behalf of People of Utah<br /> <br />Democrats Charge that Republican Leadership is Taking a 2x4 to the Democratic Process<br />______________________________<br /> <br />SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah State Democratic Party filed an official GRAMA request today with the Utah State Legislature regarding the closed door, secret conversations leading to the current "fiasco" over Utah’s congressional maps.<br /> <br />“Utah’s Republican leadership is forcing our hand. The Utah Democratic Party has been compelled to demand transparency and fairness on behalf of all Utah citizens,” said Jim Dabakis, Chair of the Utah Democratic Party.<br /> <br />“The poster children of closed cronyism in government – Representatives Dave Clark and Carl Wimmer – are working backroom deals to support their selfish political ambitions. They're throwing out months of work and hundreds of thousands of dollars of public money," continued Dabakis. "Someone must speak for the people of Utah. Someone must smash a battering ram through the closed doors. Moral and public pressure has not worked so far -- so today -- the Utah Democratic Party is being forced to file a GRAMA request to ensure our government is acting in a fair, open, and transparent manner.”<br /> <br />“This is not a decision we are making lightly. We don’t want to tie up the legislature and drag on an unnecessary process. BUT THE REPBULICAN PARTY BOSSES ARE TAKING A 2X4 TO THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS AND THEY MUST REPENT!" Dabakis proclaimed. "They must open the doors, come to the table, and develop a compromise. We are willing to compromise - are they?” <br /> <br />Dabakis concluded: “The GRAMA request is the first step towards preparing a lawsuit on behalf of the people of Utah. We do not want to go the next step of subpoenas, affidavits, depositions, testifying under oath and official legal claims, but today, we feel we have no choice but to begin moving in this direction and we are reluctantly taking this step to ensure that ALL Utahns are represented.”<br /><br />###<div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2011/10/utah-democrats-file-grama-request.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-71533806345665959Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:56:00 +00002011-09-22T13:14:53.617-07:00Catfood Commission IILobbyistsSunlight FoundationSuper CommitteeTransparencyBetter Know a Super Committee<i>Crossposted at <a href="http://mydd.com/">MyDD</a>.</i><br /><br /><div class="story-summary">Super committee member Xavier Becerra (D-CA) <a href="http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/09/08/am-super-committee-meets-to-today-to-tackle-huge-us-debt/">says everything should be on the table</a>, and that there are "no sacred cows" as they scramble to cut $1.5 trillion from the deficit (jobs!).&nbsp; No sacred cows except their campaign contributions and contact with lobbyists as they meet, that is.<br /><br />Watchdogs have circled on that theme hoping to pressure members to voluntarily disclose campaign donations and contacts with lobbyists.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/63628.html">Politico</a>:<blockquote>[...] a coalition of government reform and transparency organizations are demanding that supercommittee members voluntarily disclose their committee-related contacts with lobbyists and publicly report any campaign donations within 48 hours of receiving them.<br /><br />The groups note in the letter that most federally mandated lobbying and campaign finance disclosure reports covering October, November and December – when the supercommittee is slated to conduct the bulk of its work – won’t become public until mid-January.<br /><br />“Failure to ensure transparency of these fundamental avenues of influence will reinforce the public’s mistrust of the process and risks delegitimizing the committee’s work,” the 14 groups wrote in a joint letter being sent this afternoon to the dozen supercommittee members. “Your critical work on this committee has begun, and yet the public remains in the dark about special interests’ attempts to influence your decision-making process, whether by meeting with you or donating to your campaigns.”</blockquote>According to Politico only three committee members have agreed to halt fundraising while the committee meets, but so far none have agreed to voluntarily disclose important details about contacts.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/60548.html">Lobbyists see the opportunity here</a> with the concentration of power and no mandate for disclosure until it's too late.&nbsp; The Sunlight Foundation is hoping that changes with H.R.2860, the Deficit Committee Transparency Act.&nbsp; Sunlight's Ellen Miller, via email:<blockquote>Without transparency around this process, we don’t know who the committee members are listening to. But we can take a guess: Money speaks louder than words in Washington.<br /><br />The committee members could easily take measures to increase transparency on their own: Disclosing their campaign contributions and meetings with lobbyists or powerful interests in real-time would be one way. But while the Committee has at least taken steps to have a few open meetings, it’s business as usual when it comes to campaign fundraising and secret meetings with powerful special interests.<br /><br />This legislation can change that, but it needs your help. The bill has been introduced, but it needs cosponsors to gain momentum while it still counts -- the Super Committee has already started its work, and it has to make its recommendations by December, right around the corner.<br /><br /><a href="http://organizing.sunlightfoundation.com/page/m/64f58f26/28892859/33a72b42/6802837c/3944319148/VEsD/"><b>Open the Super Congress. Ask your representatives to cosponsor the Super Congress transparency bill!</b></a></blockquote>I sat in on a conference call with Sunlight policy wonks and staffers from&nbsp; sponsor Rep. Loebsack's office last week that detailed the bill and the campaign.&nbsp; <a href="http://organizing.sunlightfoundation.com/page/m/64f58f26/28892859/33a72b42/6802837f/3944319148/VEsA/">Recording posted here</a>.<br /><br />Most of us are hoping this committee, like the Catfood Commission, just goes away.&nbsp; But their recommendations in December might not.&nbsp; Without this legislation, details on who influenced the committee won't drop until it's too late.&nbsp; This may be an atypical disclosure ask, but this is an atypical committee about to make recommendations that could effect programs like Medicare and Social Security for the next generation.<br /><br />Call your reps.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2011/09/better-know-super-committee.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-5013099940154822165Wed, 21 Sep 2011 20:00:00 +00002011-09-21T13:00:25.784-07:00"Democrats' Nightmare Candidate"AHAHAHAHAHAHA!<blockquote>To: The SideTrack<br />To: Phillis Schlafly<br />Subject: Democrats' Nightmare Candidate<br /><br />Dear Fellow Conservative, <br /><br />I'm asking for your urgent help. <br /><br />I've been fighting for our shared beliefs for well over 40 years. I understand the liberal mindset and what makes them tick. And I can tell you that the only thing that they dislike more than an outspoken conservative -- is an outspoken conservative woman. <br /><br />Radical feminists and their allies in the "mainstream media" take absolute delight in trying to rip apart any woman who dares not walk in lock-step with their anti-family, secular-progressive agenda. Today I am writing to tell you about their nightmare candidate. <br /><br />Cherilyn Eagar was there with me back in 1977 when she helped us stop the feminist-driven "Equal Rights Amendment." Today she is running for Congress in what is shaping up to be one of the most important races in the country. But for Cherilyn to be successful, she is going to need the support of conservatives just like you. <br /><br />Like you and me, Cherilyn understands that our Constitution is under vicious attack. Once elected, I promise you that she will take the lead in repealing Obama's destructive agenda and stand firm against the radical agenda of the Far Left. <br /><br />As a wife, a mother and grandmother, Cherilyn brings good hardworking "real world" experience to the table. And that's something that is sorely needed in Washington, DC these days. I hope you'll stand with me and follow this link to make the most generous donation you can. <br /><br />Faithfully,<br />Phillis Schlafly</blockquote><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
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<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2011/09/nightmare-candidate.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jason The)0